This application claims a priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-59350 filed on Mar. 3, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an entertainment apparatus for playing a game or the like and, more particularly, to an entertainment apparatus which can be compatible with older versions of the apparatus. The invention also relates to a computer apparatus which can be used with the entertainment apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video game machines for home use with higher performance have recently been developed and introduced to the market as a result of the advance of semiconductor technologies and so on. In general, such new versions of video game machines have had no compatibility with older versions of the machines even when they had been manufactured by the same manufacturer. That is, a user who bought a new version of a machine could not use a game program for an older version of the machine with the new machine.
It is however desirable to allow a software for an old version of a machine to be executed on a new version of the machine in order not to waste a collection of old softwares (titles).
It is an object of the invention to provide an entertainment apparatus on which a program for an older version of the apparatus can be executed.
It is another object of the invention to provide a computer system which can be used with an entertainment apparatus as described above.
An entertainment apparatus according to the invention has first processor means and second processor means. The first processor means and the second processor means have a first mode and a second mode as their modes of operation. In the first mode, the first processor means functions as a main CPU and a drawing processor, and the second processor means functions as an I/O processor. In the second mode, the second processor means functions as a main CPU, and the first processor means functions as a drawing processor.
In this case, there are two methods for resetting the second processor means. It may operate as an I/O processor when it is reset using the first resetting method and may operate as a main CPU when it is reset using the second resetting method. Further, first and second clocks may be supplied to the second processor means to allow it to operate in synchronism with the first clock when it is reset using the first resetting method and to operate in synchronism with the second clock when it is reset using the second resetting method.
Further, information reading means for reading information from a portable recording medium may be provided and, in this case, it may be determined whether to activate an operation in the second mode or not depending on the type of the recording medium. For example, such portable recording media include CDs and DVDs.
For example, the first processor means may be constituted of a microprocessor and a graphics processor. In this case, the microprocessor may pass a drawing command supplied by the second processor means to the graphics processor after converting it into a drawing command suitable for the graphics processor on a software basis in the second mode.
A computer system according to the present invention is a computer system which has at least two types of modes of execution. It is characterized in that it is bootstrapped at different frequencies and in different modes of execution depending on the physical characteristics of the recording medium in which the program is recorded. It is also characterized in that it is activated at different frequencies and in different modes of execution depending on an identification signal of the recording medium in which the program is recorded. For example, it is bootstrapped at different frequencies and in different modes of execution depending on whether the recording medium in which the program is recorded is a CD or DVD.
A method for activating a program according to the invention is a method for activating a program of a computer capable of reading programs from plural types of recording media and executing the same, characterized in that a screen associated with the recording media is first displayed when a program is activated.
A method for emulation according to the invention is a method for emulating programs on different systems on a software basis, characterized in that timing parameters for operations are changed depending on serial numbers specific to the programs.